017: An Italian feast you have to see (or hear) to believe

Living Villa Cappelli

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9y ago 38:28

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Learn all about the feast of the Madonna of Sovereto in Terlizzi and Sovereto in Puglia, Italy. From carts several stories tall to shepherd boys, you’ll feel like you’re in the middle of the celebration. So pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy the festivities!

Topics we cover:

The change in Italian clothing in August
The difference between a feast and a festival
The story of the Madonna of Sovereto
The Knights Templars’ frescos in Sovereto
What is a “black Madonna”
How oxen played an important part in determining where the Madonna now lives
Why the bloody ox still has a prominent place in the feast
The difference between a triumphal cart and a float
The construction of this massive (5 story tall) cart for the festival
How the cart is manually pushed through the town by a group of men
Why throwing candy at the kids in the cart isn’t such a nice thing
Why they have to put gravel down on one corner
How the cart is steered through the town
The meat of the feast
A special delicacy everyone eats during the feast
The other part of the ceremony that takes place on April 23
Why the Madonna is also known as the Madonna of the Water
Why Steven likes this part of the feast as it’s one giant block party for the whole town of Terlizzi
How people refer to their apartments as houses and their stand-alone houses as villas
The World War II frescos that were the highlight of this year’s feast for us
Popeye, Oliveoil and more that were on the frescos

Click here to join the fun in our Facebook group: Italian Food & Travel, Tips and Tricks

Photos of the festival

A special thanks to Maria Pansini. All the black and white photos are hers.

The cart coming down the street. The Madonna making her way to the cart. The shepherd who leads the procession. Getting ready. Chaos in the streets. The honor guard steering the cart. The cart entering the square. The oxen. Pushing the cart. The other part of the festival in April that is one giant block party. The World War II frescos we saw. Oliveoil. So fitting to be found in Puglia. The names on the wall. Anyone know anyone here?

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